DERECHOS HUMANOS HONDURAS

martes, 26 de marzo de 2013

Itsmania Pineda Platero is a Honduran journalist and human rights
defender. During a recent PWAG visit to Honduras, Itsmania explained how
she started her engagement as an activist in the 1990s in the capital
Tegucigalpa and talked about the increasing human rights violations in
her country, a crisis that is affecting especially the security of women.

In the course of her professional life during the past twenty years,
Itsmania’s role has varied from journalist to artist, from street social
worker to writer and to local expert on gangs and organized crime.
Today, she brings together all of her “lives”, as she calls them, in her
engagement as a journalist reporting on the injustices in her country
and in the region.

Being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize was like a protection

Itsmania started out as a human rights defender in the 1990s. Her
organization «Xibalbá Arte y Cultura» initiated a project with young
people on the streets, helping them to better integrate into society
through art and dance. Itsmania soon became a spokesperson for young
people at risk and took a role as an adviser on gang issues for
governmental institutions and civil society organizations. «During that
period, being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize was like a shield, a
protection for me», Itsmania says. In 2011, the organization Xibalbá had
to be closed because of the severe persecution of its employees.

In Honduras, the homicide rate has increased dramatically during the
past years. According to the National Commission for Human Rights
(Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos CONADEH), seventeen persons
were killed every day in 2011. Major causes of this violence, the
Commission states, are drug trafficking, organized crime and politically
motivated violence following the military coup in 2009.

The
increasing violence in the region has affected especially the security
of women. Globally, Honduras has one of the highest rates of femicides -
murdering of women because of their gender - with 473 murders during
the past year (CONADEH). «The lack of justice in this country is a
serious problem», Itsmania says. Altogether, 90% of all cases are left
without conviction. Yet, even when victims denounce their perpetrators,
there is hardly any follow-up of the cases of violence. «Honduras does
not have enough programs for the protection of women. The government is
not doing anything against the culture of impunity around violence
against women», Itsmania states.

Itsmania is one of the
numerous women human rights defenders whose lives are at risk today in
Honduras. «The most important thing is to stay visible. We have to
inform the international community about the human rights violations in
our country».

«One Billion Rising»: The whole world dances to end violence against women

News Editorial Dear Readers,

Around the world, women and girls are still largely affected by
different forms of violence, trafficking and political persecution.

This newsletter with its new design contains information on various
aspects of our work and activities around this important topic and
presents regional strategies for combating violence against women.
In concrete terms, these are the PWAG projects such as the «Women
Survivor Learning Forum» in Indonesia as well as the activities in Latin
America and the Caribbean regions where women are faced with increasing
sexual violence, high rates of femicides and trafficking in women.

We feature in this issue one of our PeaceWomen, Itsmania Pineda Platero
from Honduras. As a human rights activist and journalist she urges
politicians and government officials to take action against the violence
in her country and to stop the prevalent impunity.

The short,
encouraging review of this year's first event «One Billion Rising» on
Valentine's Day, 14 February, describes the impressive and creative
global solidarity shown by women and men around the world to end
violence against women.

Finally, the news page provides information on interesting events, some in Bern, which you are cordially invited to attend.